From: Darrell128
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 09:10:34 EDT
April 28, 1998 * Contents:
NR #1998-023: Gay Christian Reformed Minister's Luck May Be Almost Out
As the first openly gay minister in the Christian Reformed Church, Rev.
Jim Lucas' name has become widely-known in both the denomination and in the local
homosexual community. While high-profile publicity has made it easier for
potential clients to find Lucas' counseling ministry as chaplain of As We Are,
Inc., it has also made him something of a "hot potato" and subjected him to a
series of efforts to revoke his ordination since coming out as a homosexual in
a 1992 speech at Calvin College. At a Chicago-area conference for Christian
Reformed homosexuals and others interested in learning from the experience of
gays, Lucas said those efforts may be on the verge of success. "There is a
very high possibility that in May, Classis Grand Rapids East will release me
from the ministry because no one will call me," said Lucas at the April 25
conference at Hope CRC of Oak Forest, Illinois.
NR 1998-023: For Immediate Release
Gay Christian Reformed Minister's Luck May Be Almost Out
by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer
United Reformed News Service
(April 28, 1998) - As the first openly gay minister in the Christian Reformed
Church, Rev. Jim Lucas' name has become widely-known in both the denomination
and in the local homosexual community. While high-profile publicity has made
it easier for potential clients to find Lucas' counseling ministry as chaplain
of As We Are, Inc., it has also made him something of a "hot potato" and
subjected him to a series of efforts to revoke his ordination since coming out
as a homosexual in a 1992 speech at Calvin College.
At a Chicago-area conference for Christian Reformed homosexuals and others
interested in learning from the experience of gays, Lucas said those efforts
may be on the verge of success.
"There is a very high possibility that in May, Classis Grand Rapids East will
release me from the ministry because no one will call me," said Lucas at the
April 25 conference at Hope CRC of Oak Forest, Illinois.
Lucas is a member of Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids, but since his former
church closed in 1989, has not been formally called by Eastern Avenue to As We
Are or any other officially-endorsed ministerial position. According to
Christian Reformed rules, ministers without call are entitled to maintain
their ordained status for two years, after which they are to be released from
the ministry unless classis votes each year to extend their eligibility for
call.
Classis Grand Rapids East and Eastern Avenue CRC defended him for years,
noting that he is personally celibate and had not publicly contradicted his
denomination's stance against homosexual practice. Last year, however, Lucas
announced that he believes "faithful, committed, permanent, same-sex unions
can be an experience of God's grace and within God's will for those who find
they are not able to maintain a life of celibacy." As We Are subsequently
issued a similar statement. As a result, Lucas' church decided four days
before last September's classis meeting that it could no longer endorse his
ordination. Rather than immediately terminating Lucas' ordination, classis
postponed the decision until January, and then postponed the decision again
until the May session.
At the January classis, Eastern Avenue CRC said part of the problem was that
the church, which played a pivotal role in the ordination of women and has
Rev. Mary Antonides as its pastor, didn't have the energy to take on another
hot-button issue. "What happened was we couldn't handle it anymore," said
Elder Phil Quist. "Mary doesn't need to be tainted, given a high profile on
this issue."
Although Eastern Avenue CRC has made clear that it will not call him to As We
Are or to a part-time chaplaincy at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids that
he received shortly before the January classis, Lucas hoped that another
church would be willing to call him.
If that doesn't happen, however, Lucas didn't know what he would do.
"I have no 'Plan B,' said Lucas in a later interview. "If the time comes, I
will have to do a lot of praying and a lot of grieving."
"I'm trying to remain optimistic; I'm questioning whether it is possible to
remain optimistic and realistic at the same time."
What will happen if Classis Grand Rapids East releases Lucas from the
ministry?
"It will say that the Christian Reformed Church really does not want to begin
a process of living and growing together with its gay members," said Lucas.
"No matter what they say, that's how it will be read."
Lucas said he had no idea why Eastern Avenue CRC had decided to back off from
supporting him in 1997 after half a decade of defending him from criticism.
"I'm trying to figure it out myself," said Lucas. "I was completely shocked,
but there are folks there who are trying to reach out. There are a couple here
[at the homosexuality conference] >from Eastern Avenue who wanted to show their
support."
Rev. Mary Antonides from Eastern Avenue CRC did not return calls for comment.
Classis Grand Rapids East will next meet on May 21 at Woodlawn CRC in Grand
Rapids.
Cross-References to Related Articles:
#1993-017: Over 1200 Pack Calvin College Auditorium to Debate Gay Rights;
Homosexual Activists Demand Equal Time for Views
#1993-019: Anti-Gay Rights Speaker Triggers Uproar at Calvin College;
Professor Renews Call for Ban on Outside Funding for College Republicans
Lecture Series
#1993-021: 3 Million Hear Noebel Counterattack Calvin College Regarding Gay
Rights on National Christian Radio Program
#1993-023: General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in America Calls Christian
Reformed Church to "Repent of Its Sins"; Women in office, homosexuality,
theistic evolution, deposition of conservative pastors cited as "departure
from the Scriptures in its doctrine and practice"
#1993-026: Children at the Lord's Table, Americans with Disabilities Act,
Judicial Code Matters, Homosexuality Delay Synod Schedule
#1993-031: More Churches Split Following Christian Reformed Synodical Vote
Allowing Women Elders and Pastors; Alberta Seceders Protest Homosexuality
Report by Classis Alberta North
#1994-005: Christianity Today Lists Calvin Among Christian Colleges Strained
by Homosexuals Pressing for Acceptance
#1994-016: Midwest Classis Asks CRC Synod to Address Homosexuality, Calling
God "She," Theistic Evolution, Ordination Process
#1994-031: Christian Reformed Synod: Members May Not "Practice or Advocate
Homosexualism"; Dr. David Engelhard Approved as CRC's Next General Secretary;
Synod Rejects Proposal to End Funding Endorsement for Westminster Seminary
#1994-037: Of Garages, Houses, and Women: Synod Keeps "Expounders" and
Appoints Committee to Decide What "Expounding" Means; Synod Cites Legal
Concerns in Modifying Abuse Committee Report; "Reaffirmation" of Past
Decisions on Inerrancy, Creation, Homosexuality Declared Unnecessary by Synod
#1994-048: Jim Lucas Hired as Chaplain of "As We Are" Gay Ministry;
Ministerial Credentials Extended to Permit Call to Position; Classis Grand
Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Denomination Expects Homosexuality Study
Committee to Report to January Classis Meeting
#1995-043: Committee Divides on Whether Gay Ministries Must Declare Homosexual
Activity is Sin; Classis Grand Rapids East Refers Both Reports to Churches for
Study
#1995-084: Classis Wisconsin Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Declare
that Members who "Deny the Biblical Condemnation of All Homosexual Behavior"
are Subject to Discipline
#1995-085: Text of Classis Wisconsin Overture re. Homosexuality
#1995-100: Grand Rapids East Attempts Compromise on Question of How to
Minister to Christian Reformed Gays
#1995-101: Text of Classis Grand Rapids East Study Committee Report on
Ministry with Persons who are Homosexual
#1995-113: Calvin Seminary Professors Urge Classis Grand Rapids East to Affirm
CRC Synod's Ruling that Homosexual Practice is Sin
#1995-114: Text of Calvin Seminary Faculty Letter on Homosexuality
#1996-010: Classis Grand Rapids East Follows Calvin Seminary Faculty Urgings;
Reaffirms 1973 CRC Position on Homosexuality
#1996-081: Tempers Flare as Christian Reformed Synod Appoints Committee to
Restudy Homosexuality
#1996-122: Calvin Theological Seminary Terminates Pro-Gay Professor
#1997-030: Calvin College Chimes Runs Four-Page Homosexuality Insert; Gay
Alumni Group Denied Ad Space in Alumni Magazine
#1997-041: Kalamazoo Christian "Releases" 30-Year Veteran Teacher for
Supporting "Homosexual Monogamous Relationships"
#1997-095: Eastern Avenue CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry Due to
Disagreement with Synodical Position on Gay Marriage
#1997-101: Eastern Avenue CRC Withdraws Endorsement of Gay Minister's
Ordination; Classis Tables Issue Until January
#1998-001: Classis Grand Rapids North Lets Gay Christian Reformed Minister
Keep His Credentials - For Now
Contact List:
Rev. Mary Antonides, Pastor, Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church
2514 Normandy Dr. SE, Apt. 210-C, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
O: (616) 454-4888 * H: (616) 248-8357 * E-Mail: willem@iserv.net
Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North
America
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560
O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail:
engelhad@crcna.org
Rev. Jim Lucas, Chaplain, As We ARE
PO Box 7824, Grand Rapids, MI 49510
O: (616) 456-6174 * E-Mail: JimLucas12@aol.com
Dr. Philip R. Lucasse, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids East
3096 Old Kent Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
O: (616) 957-6000 * H: (616) 942-1219 * E-Mail: luca@calvin.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-023.txt
.